Progressive Network

The Only Thing Trump Self-Funds is His Ego

Two days ago, there was this neat article on Huffpost titled, ‘Why I Support Donald Trump as a Conservative Millennial of Color’. My interest was certainly peaked. So I read it. Some of her reasons include his policies, his message, his tax reform plan, and lastly, she was really impressed with how Trump self funds his own campaign.

I am also impressed with the fact that Trump is self funding his campaign. He is not beholden to any special interests, lobbyists, or donors. When Trump is elected, he will be free to do what’s in the best interest of the American people and he won’t owe anyone any favors.

There are plenty of Trump supporters who agree with this conservative millennial of color. In fact, a Donald Trump Facebook post about eight months ago read,

By self-funding my campaign, I am not controlled by my donors, special interests or lobbyists. I am only working for the people of the U.S.!

That post stirred the conservative cauldrons with more than 300,000 likes! Someone even replied to that inspirational message and said,

I sent $25 even though I am retired and on a fixed income with a strict budget. I am gladly and proudly sending him $25 each month until he is POTUS!!

Some political analysts have even compared Trump with Bernie Sanders in this fund raising regard – two outsiders thumbing their noses at the big-donor big-money politics. Sanders has remained rooted to his word, with his $27 average donation a mantle-piece in lots of his speeches.

After today though, there are a lot of angry Trump supporters – betrayed might be a better description. Trump is suddenly trying to gather his donors and super PACS – huge, megalithic fundraising machines.

Trump supporters interviewed by the press, repeatedly praised Trump’s refusal to take a dollar from special interest, and pay for it all himself. But his claim of self-funding was always a lie.

Up to this point, Trump has raised about $48 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics – a speck of sand compared to Clinton, Sanders, Cruz, Bush, Rubio, even less than Ben Carson. About one quarter of that amount comes from donations to the campaign.

Where does all the rest come from?

Trump staffers kept assuring the public that Trump would start contributing to his own campaign. And finally he did. It turns out the money Trump has spent on his “self-financing” was not donations to his campaign rather, loans.

All Trump has to do is pay himself back (with interest) after collecting those donations. Also, he would pay himself a lot for services rendered, like more than $2 million for flights on his planes, a quarter of a million dollars to his Fifth Avenue office tower, and even his bodyguard deserves a hefty fund.

Remember that this is the same guy that cleverly declared bankruptcy four times. He is also the same guy that told Fortune in 2000,

It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.

Considering all of the media attention dropped on Trump’s doorstep, he was able to skirt through the primaries without practically spending anything. In a general election though he’s thinking $1.5 billion should suffice.